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publish milestone papers introducing a novel procedure for the analysis of drugs in whole blood by homogeneous enzyme immunoassay (EMIT).
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published the first paper suggesting the D1S80 locus (pMCT118) for forensic DNA analysis.
D1S80 was subsequently developed by Cetus (subsequently Roche Molecular Systems) corporation as a commercially available forensic DNA typing system. -
Walsh Automation Inc., in Montreal, launched development of an automated imaging system called the Integrated Ballistics Identification System, or IBIS, for comparison of the marks left on fired bullets, cartridge cases, and shell casings. This system was subsequently developed for the U.S. market in collaboration with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF).
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In response to concerns about the practice of forensic DNA analysis and interpretation of the results, the National
Research Council Committee on Forensic DNA (NRC I) published DNA Technology in Forensic Science. -
The FBI contracted with Mnemonic Systems to developed Drugfire, an automated imaging system to compare marks left on cartridge cases and shell casings. The ability to compare fired bullets was subsequently added.
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Thomas Caskey, professor at Baylor University in Texas, and colleagues published the first paper suggesting the use of short tandem repeats for forensic DNA analysis. Promega corporation and Perkin-Elmer corporation in collaboration with Roche Molecular Systems independently developed commercial kits for forensic DNA STR typing.
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In Daubert et al. v. Merrell Dow, a U.S. federal court relaxed the Frye standard for admission of scientific evidence and conferred on the judge a “gatekeeping” role. The ruling cited Karl Popper’s views that scientific theories are falsifiable as a criterion for whether something is “scientific knowledge” and should be admissible.
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Roche Molecular Systems (formerly Cetus) released a set of five additional DNA markers (“polymarker”) to add to the HLA-DQA1 forensic DNA typing system.
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In response to continued concerns about the statistical interpretation of forensic DNA evidence, a second National Research Council Committee on Forensic DNA (NRC II) was convened and published The Evaluation of Forensic DNA Evidence.
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The FBI introduced computerized searches of the AFIS fingerprint database. Live scan and card scan devices allowed interdepartmental submissions.
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In Tennessee v. Ware, mitochondrial DNA typing was admitted for the first time in a U.S. court.
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An FBI DNA database, NIDIS, enabling interstate cooperation in linking crimes, was put into practice.
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The FBI upgraded its computerized fingerprint database and implemented the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS), allowing paperless submission, storage, and search capabilities directly to the national database maintained at the FBI.
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A Memorandum of Understanding is signed between the FBI and ATF, allowing the use of the National Integrated
Ballistics Network (NIBIN), to facilitate exchange of firearms data between Drugfire and IBIS.
